


Breaking Point

by BrainExhaustionGodStan



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Connor & Upgraded Connor | RK900 are Siblings, Deviancy (Detroit: Become Human), Deviant Upgraded Connor | RK900, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Gen, Humor, Identity Issues, Machine Upgraded Connor | RK900, Parental Hank Anderson, Post-Pacifist Best Ending (Detroit: Become Human), Upgraded Connor | RK900 Has Feelings, Upgraded Connor | RK900 Has a Different Name, Upgraded Connor | RK900 Is Bad at Feelings, Upgraded Connor | RK900 and Gavin Reed are Police Partners, Upgraded Connor | RK900 is In Denial About Deviancy, Upgraded Connor | RK900-centric, he's going from one to the other, it's both Nines and Richard
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-26
Updated: 2021-01-26
Packaged: 2021-03-11 23:41:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,430
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29000874
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BrainExhaustionGodStan/pseuds/BrainExhaustionGodStan
Summary: RK900's journey to a deviancy he's unsure of.Why want what you're not made for? He does not desire what's out of reach.That does not stop him from growing into his own person, through little things and big thoughts.
Relationships: Connor & Upgraded Connor | RK900, Hank Anderson & Upgraded Connor | RK900, Upgraded Connor | RK900 & Gavin Reed, Upgraded Connor | RK900 & Other(s), Upgraded Connor | RK900/Gavin Reed, if you squint
Comments: 6
Kudos: 43





	Breaking Point

RK900 likes to think-  _ knows _ he is, for all intents and purposes, invulnerable. Of course, perfection is too much of a subjective,  _ human _ concept to be real, so there are some flaws to his design, mostly due to its incomplete state, but he does not mind-  _ consider it disadvantageous _ .

In fact, the way the ex-deviant hunter's features morph into some kind of barely concealed horror once he realises RK900's unfinished social module makes him lack the empathy needed to deviate is pleasant-  _ adequate _ .

* * *

One major thing Cyberlife did not have enough time to give him was a proper recalibration routine, so RK900 learns. When Connor's coin tricks prove themselves to be insufficient, he starts playing- he adapts and twirls pens, snaps four different strings trying his hand at cat's cradle, and learns that Hank does not like the idea of him using the kitchen knives when his restless hands eventually land on them. Eventually, trial and error being an essentially foolproof method, he finds satisfaction in card tricks, of all things.

Nothing has caused him to require recalibration yet. He does it anyway.

* * *

He leaves Jericho with more questions than before. Apparently Cyberlife is suddenly siding with androids, and he is expected to somehow “make deviancy his, like many before him and hopefully more after” but he doesn't see the point. Machines do not question orders, but RK900 can tell the orders in question are  _ stupid _ and he's built to always make the best decision, but-

Connor grins at him from the front passenger seat of Anderson’s car.

* * *

He does not take his LED off. He stares at it, sometimes, when he sees himself in the mirror. It seems stuck on yellow. He saw it go blue once. Flashes of red are a regular occurence.

These are all facts he does not understand, so he keeps it to learn more, at first.

Maybe there’s something comforting about clear signs of what he can’t quite grasp yet.

* * *

"The fuck is up with that, anyway?” Reed asks, tone weirdly conversational despite the usual profanity.

RK900-  _ well _ , that’s not his name anymore, is it? He follows Reed’s line of sight and, as his eyes land on the tiny letters spelling  _ Nines Anderson _ , hears his self-proclaimed brother and father sigh in unison.

“Well, Connor is terrible with names-”

“Going by RK900 forever is hardly a better choice and  _ no I am not! _ ”

“...and it seems being considered an adult by law did not stop the Lieutenant-”

“I'm your father, at least call me Hank, you brat!”

“...We are at work, _Hank_. It seems me being an adult did not stop Lieutenant Anderson from unnecessarily adopting me. I am surrounded with idiots.”

A pen is thrown his way. He catches it and throws it right back at Connor.

* * *

Nines finds himself spending most of his free time in stasis. There's no reason, no particular pull, but it's a habit that forms, and stays. True as code, and true as sleep.

“Not exploring the world is as much of a defining choice as doing it,” he remembers one of the Jericho leaders telling him.

* * *

“They should've called you Richard instead, tin can.”

Nines is- well, Connor told him to call that  _ surprise _ but he’d rather say some things are unexpected. And Detective Gavin Reed himself saying a whole sentence without swearing?  _ That _ is the definition of unexpected. He tries to reply with as much snark as the few social conventions he does understand will allow him to use.

“Why, detective? And what does that have to do with this case I just solved entirely without your help thanks to unparalleled efficiency unimpeded by your painfully human blunders? Well, I say that but I must admit you  _ are _ good at your job. For a human.”

Maybe a  _ bit _ more snark. These things happen. The RK900 was not designed with amiability in mind, anyway.

“Can't your shitty supercomputer brain thing figure that one out? You're a  _ dick _ , you monologuing smartass. Now move.”

Reed shoves him out of the way (or at least attempts to, but is met with the effortless resistance of an immovable object that comes with being a state-of-the-art machine) before walking away. Before he's gone, though, Nines feels the need to call out.

“If dicks get what they want, then I am as much Nines as  _ Richard _ ,” he hears himself say, “detective.”

There's a sweet satisfaction that feels both foreign and fully his when the human doesn't quite fall but still  _ stumbles _ .

The same odd  _ feeling _ returns when he shows Reed the new  _ Richard “Nines” Anderson _ inscription on his desk and smirks at the red-faced detective the next day.

He runs a diagnosis but there's still nothing there.

He refuses to admit that he's disappointed.

* * *

There must be something he’s completely missing about  _ coffee _ , because he hears Connor laugh so hard it has to be straining his voice box when he just refuses to bring Reed coffee.

Maybe it has something to do with his phrasing. He wonders what could possibly be so funny about “no, suffer”.

* * *

For some reason, everyone complains about his fashion sense. He does not see the issue. His research on the last  _ century _ fashion trends (it really just started when Hank told he should dress more “casual” at home, which led to questions, and he fell down a rabbit hole, these things happen) indicates that long coats have never failed anybody before, so why would it be a problem?

Somehow, even Josh begins to complain (Richard somehow befriended him over philosophical musings about identity, self-determination and the relationship between capacity and obligation, and now he has a self-proclaimed “pop culture teacher”) and he keeps bugging Nines about how  _ badly _ this  _ needs _ to be fixed. It leads to a terrible shopping trip (because if the “holder of Jericho’s one and only competent brain cell”, as he calls himself, invites everyone to a stupid outing, no one dares say no) that might have further traumatised some people.

Their shopping adventure mostly consists of Connor dragging Richard everywhere as he buys all kinds of animal-themed… stuff. It is all so diverse no other word quite seems to fit. The rest of the group tries to follow, but it doesn’t work out that well. Connor is naturally very fast and currently hyperfocused on the task at hand, while Nines  _ has fun _ making it harder for them.

He does manage to buy a few things for himself on the way. Josh just gives him the most tired deadpan when he realises it’s his usual turtleneck and long coat combo and exactly one cardigan because  _ Markus himself  _ shoved it in his arms.

No one really makes a comment on the three space-themed notebooks in his bags.

When they get home, Hank’s smile is encouraging. Nines can’t meet his eyes but it’s nice.

* * *

Richard somehow ends up invited at a “game night”. With all of Connor's friends. Which means a whole crowd, because somehow the RK800 managed to befriend every creature he ever came in contact with despite being as socially inept as Nines is. At least  _ he _ has an excuse, no functional social module means he's starting from scratch. Connor is just  _ terrible _ at what he was quite literally made for. Yet he's still a natural at the art of making friends.

The conclusion of all this is Nines had to spend three hours in mostly insufferably loud company and he's now certain that if he ever manages to deviate (when did that even become a  _ goal _ -) the first trait he'll associate to himself is  _ severe introversion _ .

Thankfully the fourth hour is marked by departures and silence. He almost enjoys beating his brother at Mario Kart. Almost, because  _ for some unholy reason _ Hank decides to blue shell Nines from his faraway 12th rank. And  _ somehow _ , Gavin uses that opportunity to golden mushroom himself from 8th to completely  _ undeserved _ victory.

(Future deviant Richard is severely introverted and hates losing as much as he likes winning.)

Reed, asshole that he is, feels the need to grace them all with his version of a victory dance. It’s a terrible sight that adds insult to injury after such an unfair defeat, but after exactly twelve seconds, Gavin falls. Straight up falls face first on the floor, and Connor may or may not (it’s not like anyone will  _ tell _ -) have tripped him.

There are snorts here and there, but Nines  _ laughs _ .

He is vaguely aware that everyone is staring, but he- it’s something new, and feels like  _ him _ , and there’s something so simply  _ good _ about it.

Nines wants more of this.

**Author's Note:**

> My love for a character that has no canon personality is becoming a bit of a problem.


End file.
